


For the heirs to come (be brave)

by DonnieFamily_Choni



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Death to Primes, Echo Backstory, F/M, Mainly Becho, Multi, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-24
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-07-22 18:42:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19968577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DonnieFamily_Choni/pseuds/DonnieFamily_Choni
Summary: Hidden and afraid after becoming a Natblida and nearly becoming a host to the dead Prime, Echo must find a way to survive. Her friends who saved her are red bloods and must stay hidden, but her a certain child have the black blood that allows them to slip through the shield. Her choices are to hunker down and pray for a rescue mission, or flee and pray she finds help before it's too late.Set after 6x11. Canon besides the fact that Shaiheda does not exist and Madi hasn't gone "psycho."





	1. Pain

_"Bring me her head."_

_Ashe._

_"Congratulations, Echo. Get her ready."_

"Echo?"

_"That life will be yours."_

_Black blood. Natblida. The syringe._

"Echo." 

She felt a cold hand touch her and her bloodshot eyes shot open and she shot up with a strangled gasp. The hand clamped tightly over her mouth. "Sh!" Her eyes meet Gaia's warm ones.

"Are you alright?"

 _You're a spy. An assassin. Show no emotion._ "I'm fine." Echo brushes the hand off. If it had been Emori, or Raven or even Murphy she may have accepted the hand, she would've allowed her eyes to pool with unshed tears and not stop the slight tremble of her bottom lip. If it was Bellamy, well she would have leaned into his touch, allowed herself to cry. But it was Gaia, and she put on her long worn mask. One she had perfected as a child when Nia had plucked her up, changed her name, and crowned her a cold hearted assassin in a single moment. 

"Are you s-" the glare Echo gave silenced the flamekeeper. 

"We can't stay here forever," Echo mutters, looking at the small space the two of them were stuffed in along with Miller. It was a small attic, damp and the air full of moisture that made her lungs cry and chilled her to the bone. 

"We leave and get seen and _we're_ executed and _you_ get a mind drive shoved into your head and live oblivious as a Prime."

The reminder sends a shock through her body as she glances down, at her black stained wrists from where she fought the restraints the night before. Bile rose in her throat and despite not having eaten in well over a day, she heaved, stomach acid and bile coming out. She felt a cold, clammy hand on her aching back. And she didn't care. Last thing she heard was Gaia's muffled voice softly calling her name.

...........................................

She woke with a start, light from the tiny window blinding her. It was daytime, and more imperative than before to stay still and quiet or else they would all be dead in a sense. "Gaia," she called hoarsely. All she wanted was something to drink. She was so _thirsty_. _"Gaia."_

"I'm right here." Gaia perched beside her, a hand on her forehead. "You're feverish."

"I'm _cold._ I need a drink _._ " 

"Miller snuck down in the night and stole some food and water." She offers her a cup and Echo downs in, but she's not satisfied. 

"That's all?"

"No." She pours more water from a pitcher into the cup. "That is all."

Echo gives her a small smile, this time sipping the drink. Gaia offers her a piece of bread but her stomach flips at the thought. She takes a tentative bite.

"Good, you're awake," Miller's voice speaks up. "We have a slight problem. Josephine is back. And it's just Josephine."

"Bellamy?" Echo's heart lurches. Her beloved had run into the woods several days ago with the blonde.

"No sign of him. I'm sorry, Echo." Her eyes squeeze shut. It _hurt_. The thought of him just not _existing_ anymore. "With you missing, they're only going to turn another person into a Prime. Probably one of our friends," he sighs.

"Raven," Echo says hoarsely. She sits up, ignoring the scream of her back. "They can't make Nightblood without their bone marrow donor."

"What are you saying? We _kill_ Madi?" Gaia gasps, thinking of the child she had failed that was with no doubt terrified, being drilled into and drained.

"No. Nightbloods can go through the shield."

"Madi won't be able to; if she could escape, she would have _already_."

"That's why...why I'm going to go with her."

"Echo, you're _sick_. You can barely sit up!"

"Madi needs me. You all need me. I can find help. I can find Bellamy!"

"Echo...Bellamy is probably-"

"Don't say it," she growls. "Once night falls, I'll find Madi. We'll escape. We'll find help." She has a sense of determination in her voice. _Her will was back_. "Are you helping me, or am I doing this alone?"

"We're in this together," is what Gaia says.

..............................................

_Pain._

Pain shot through her body with every step. But she kept going. Kept dragging her feet as softly as possible, ignoring the throb in her hips and back and how her throat felt like sandpaper. She ignored to not so dull ache in her head, and how her vision was blurring at the edges. 

_Madi._ She was almost there, Miller propping her up as they moved through the night. Getting to the child was all that mattered. She knew once she got to Madi, she wouldn't have Miller to help her. She would have to keep herself up, and keep the child up. She knew that as bad as she felt, that Madi would feel worse. The child who spent the past twelve hours chained and drilled into for her marrow. 

In they were and her breath caught in her throat. "Madi," the name slipped through chapped lips. 

Blue eyes opened slowly. "E-Echo?" the small voice whimpered. Echo pushed away from Miller, making her way to the child. She pulled the needle out of Madi's arm, wincing at the child's loud hiss of pain. She undid all the straps. Goosebump covered arms found their way around Echo's neck, the smaller body clinging to her. "Teik osir gonot kom hir, beja!"

Echo looks her over once she's released and draws a breath. "Now." She helps Madi up, pulling her arm over her own shoulder. 

"Stay safe," Miller puts a hand on the former spy's shoulder.

"You too."

He shifts into the shadows as the pair exit. Echo holds back a cry with every step, now that she's supporting her own weight and Madi's. "I got you, Heda."

"You don't have to call me that," Madi mumbles. "I can't protect my people, how can I be a good leader?"

"All the leaders before you struggled, too, Heda. You learn through your trials, and you have people to back you up. I have faith in you. Bellamy has faith in you. So do the others."

"Echo? Where are we going?"

"Out of Sanctum. The shield's just ahead."

"Echo! Only a Natblida can cross the shield."

Echo sniffs the tears back and shifts her weight so she can hold her wrist up. "Ai laik Natblida."

"How?" Madi's eyes grow. "Because of me? They used my bone marrow to change you?"

Echo nods carefully. "Simone is dead. Russel needed a host, and he chose me. He wanted...he was going to kill me. To put her inside me and turn my body into hers. I just..." She swallows back the bile once again. Madi rubbing her arm, the parts that weren't marred with ugly bruises, comforted her enough for her to keep her head. "Come. We have to go."

The two made their way to the shield. They cast one look back at the distant lights before slipping through the radiation shield. Echo felt the effects, her body being so new to the nightblood. She doubled over once they were across, coughing as black blood dribbled over her lip.

"It'll get better," Madi says softly. She remembered the stories Clarke told her of the adjustment period of being in the radioactive air when she first became a Nightblood. Echo remembers _seeing_ it. Her head shot up at the sound of motorbikes approaching. 

"Madi, run!"

She takes her hand and the two run for the woods. Echo remembers the dangers of the woods from her first night on this strange planet. But nothing was worse than the fate that awaited her if the Sanctum guards caught them and hauled them back. Madi's legs fall from under her. "Echo, I can't!"

The adrenaline coursing through her veins is what gave Echo the boost to lift the girl into her arms and over her shoulder. "I got you." She felt her feet moving, running, eyes darting through the darkness. _Bellamy. We have to find Bellamy_. The sound was closer and closer. Then suddenly, there was light and noise in front of them. Echo moves to the side, throwing herself and Madi to the ground behind a shrub. She holds Madi, taking the brunt of the fall onto the stones herself. Hands clap over Madi's ears when the unmistakable sound of gunfire surrounds them. She moves her body so she was covering Madi, so she was a human shield in the case of a stray bullet finding its way to them.

The sound ceased but that didn't ease either one's worry. They didn't move, not knowing who won-or if the people shooting at their enemies were friend or foe.

"Where did they go?" A familiar voice asks. 

"Octavia," Madi whispers.

"I don't know." _Bellamy_. Echo tries to sit up, but she can't. 

"Bellamy," she tries to call but her voice is hoarse and comes out too quiet.

"Bellamy!" Madi yells. Loudly. 

They hear rustling as bodies make their way to them. "Madi?" A pause. "Echo!" His face swims into her vision, dark eyes full of concern as her cups her face in his hands. His scared voice, and concerned face, is the last thing her senses register before the world faded into darkness. 


	2. Forgiveness

If someone had told Octavia Blake when she first woke from cryosleep that she'd be standing in a homey tent in uncharted woods on a moon, tending to Echo kom Azgeda-her almost murderer and woman she banished turned into her basically sister-in-law, she'd have laughed in their face then proceed to slit their throat. But here she was, at the former spy's bedside. She dipped the cloth in the cool water, resting it onto the other woman's forehead.

Her brother had been wearing himself thin, between caring for his love and Madi. Octavia had offered to take over caring for them so he could rest. After all, trust needed to be _eared_. And she knew that may just start with Echo. She was surprised when Bellamy had warily agreed. Whether it was because he didn't want to leave his love's side or he didn't trust his sister not to murder her, she wasn't sure. But he had allowed it and she was damn sure going to keep both woman and child alive while he got the sleep he desperately needed.

Gabriel was out convening with the Children of Gabriel-he too had trust to earn from them. It had been an hour all her only company were her unconscious patients. She missed Gabriel. She missed _Diyoza._ She wished the older woman never walked into the anomaly-although if she _hadn't_ Octavia wouldn't have been given the second chance she has. She had spent days praying that Diyoza would make an appearance, that she'd be returned to her. She wouldn't admit it aloud, but the former war hero was the mentor she had needed all along. She was _family_ , she was as close as a parent, a friend as she's had in such a long time. She _needed_ her.

A mumble catches her attention. Echo's eyelids are fluttering and Octavia's heart lurches, and she glances at her brother's sleeping form wondering if she should wake him.

"Bellamy?" the word came out in an unsure whisper. Octavia never dreamed she'd hear fear in the Azgedian's voice. Octavia perches on the edge of the bed.

"No. He's asleep. He's been by your side since you got here."

"H-how long?" 

"Three days. You've been in and out. You've been fighting a fever, you had a wound on your wrist that got infected. Not to mention the bruising on your arms, legs and back. Madi's been pretty out of it, too. She lost a lot of blood. Gabriel said that if she had gone just another day, she'd be lost. You saved her by bringing her here. There's one burning question. How are you a nightblood?"

"The...the Primes. They take over people. They put mind drives in people." Octavia nods, this she knows. "The leader, his wife was murdered recently in an attempt of a revolution. He-he needed a host. So...so he used Madi's bone marrow to turn me into a host." The bile rose again, like it did every time the thought came into the forefront of her thoughts. A basin is under her chin just as she empties her stomach. She feels a cool hand pulling tangled hair aside, fingers brushing her hairline. 

"You escaped before they could," Octavia says matter of factly.

Echo sits back and nods. Octavia wipes her mouth. "Here, rinse."

"Why are you being so nice?" Echo cringes. There was definite bad blood between the two. She still remembers how the blade felt as it pierced the younger girl's body, the fear as her body plummeted down. The look of sheer anger and hatred on her face when they were reunited years later. How, because of how much she loved Bellamy, she wanted to prove herself to his sister.

"I need forgiveness. I need _redemption,_ " Octavia forces out.

"You want _my_ forgiveness?"

Octavia nods, clenching her jaw. "Why?" the question startles her. "You never stabbed me. You didn't shoot arrows at my head during a conclave."

"No, I didn't," Octavia says dryly. "But I refused to allow you forgiveness or redemption, I refused to let you grow. I'm asking you to forgive me for that."

"I forgave you of that a long time ago," Echo says. 

"I forgive you. For stabbing me. For the conclave. I forgive you. I want you to know that."

"Bellamy hasn't forgiven you yet, has he?" Echo asks softly, sadly.

"No," Octavia's green eyes cast down. "He won't even let me apologize."

"He's stubborn. But don't give up on him. He'll come to his senses...eventually. You're his sister, he loves you more than anything." That got her a tiny smile. "If I have to give him a firm talking to, I will."

Octavia shoots a look at his sleeping form before scooting a bit more onto the bed. "I need to say something. And I need you to listen. Can you do that?"

Echo nods.

"There's a mystery here. The _anomaly_. It has red sun toxins and makes us see things, the closer you get to it. Well, we trekked to it. My hand was marred, paralyzed and it was spreading sickness to my head and heart. It was a wall of green smoke and light. Blinding and terrifying yet oddly beautiful. Diyoza was sure she was following her unborn child and ran in. I followed. The light, it swallowed her and I tried to keep up but it spit me out. But when it sent me back, my hand was healed, my hair was clean and longer, and my clothes were different. It's like I was there at least weeks, not moments. But I have no memory of anything. Gabriel said nobody has ever in hundreds of years ever came back after entering the anomaly, so he gave me a serum and in my dream, there were two boxes. A red and green, and I chose the red. It was full of red butterflies-I loved butterflies when I first landed on earth. They transported me to the fighting pits where I saw Pike. He killed the love of my life, Lincoln. He made me see what I needed. Forgiveness, and moreover _redemption_. And reminded me how I robbed him of his when I killed him. Then Blodreina came in. She was going to execute Pike. Her words...they were Pike's. And Pike, he spoke _Lincoln's_ final words. And I realized what I had become. I picked up my sword, and I fought her. I killed her. _No Blodreina nowe_."

She swiped at her cheeks. _Weakness_. 

"You have a second chance," Echo says.

"I do," Octavia nods, sniffing.

A small smile graces her lips. "I guess we better make sure it doesn't go to waste."

..............................................

"You're awake. Oh god," Bellamy pulled Echo into her arms, her injuries forgotten. She ignored the pain, wanting nothing more than to be enveloped into his arms. "You're okay, you're okay," he mumbled to himself.

The last three days had been _torturous_ for him. Sitting there, taking turns between Madi and Echo's bedside wondering if they'd ever wake up. And he had seen the caked back blood on Echo's arm, and after inspecting the wound it was realized it was _her_ blood. The question of _why_ and _how_ had been burning nonstop in his mind since that moment.

"I'm okay," she says to reassure him. 

He doesn't let her go, instead he just adjusts his body so he's sitting beside her instead of in front, holding her body to his from the side so he can take her bandaged arm, holing it up gently. "Echo?"

She swallows. "You saw the blood."

"How are you a Natblida?"

" _Russell_. Simone is dead. None of _us_ killed her-their own people did. There's a revolution starting, slowly. Abby was forced to use Madi to take her bone marrow, and he needed a new host for his wife. He chose me." She sees Octavia approach, a basin in her hand. "If Gaia and Miller's rescue came just minutes later, I'd be _Simone Lightbourne_ right now." The basin is shoved under her chin, just as her stomach lurched. _Why was this happening every time?_ Bellamy ran a hand up and down her back as Octavia held the basin under her chin, keeping her hair out of the way.

"You're okay," Bellamy says, still rubbing her back. She sits up, Octavia wiping her mouth with a cool cloth and immediately offering her a cup of water to rinse her mouth. Echo wrinkles her nose as she tries to rid her mouth of the taste. 

"Drink this. It'll help," a new voice says. A dark skinned man walked into her vision and she tenses up beside Bellamy. Octavia takes the cup from him and offers it to Echo, who looks to Bellamy for confirmation. He takes the cup from Octavia and offers it to her himself, and she cautiously sips it.

"Gabriel, this is Echo, my brother's girlfriend. Echo, this is Gabriel."

" _The_ Gabriel?" Echo asks, sitting up straighter. "The ones the Primes are so worried about?"

The man- _Gabriel_ -dips his head. He appears upset by that, which peaks Echo's interest. "Yes, that's me."

"What is this?" She asks, glancing down at the bright blue liquid. She had taken a small sip, but wasn't too keen on the unfamiliar taste.

"It's safe. It's taken from the trees, and modified. It's like medicine out here, it'll kill the rest of the infection and help heal you."

She nods, the answer satisfying enough since Bellamy doesn't seem worried. "So, what's the plan?" The trio exchange looks and Echo shifts. "Our people are in trouble! Raven, Murphy, Emori, and Jordan are there. Gaia and Miller risked their lives to save my life. We _have_ to help them!"

"Hey, hey. Calm down, Echo. We _will_ save them. But we need a solid plan, we need _time._ If we go in blind, we'll be killed and they'll all still die anyways. Clarke's there, we destroyed Josephine. Clarke's just pretending to be her to get us a way in." He realizes something she said. _"Raven?_ We left her in space."

"Abby brought her down, and straight into danger." Echo huffs. She knew it was a hard feat to keep the mechanic from doing what she wanted, but she still laid the blame solely on the doctor. Raven was her family- Abby has never been more than an inconvenience to her. 

Bellamy sighs, his face falling into his hands. Echo touches his shoulder gently. 

"Let's start planning then, shall we?" Octavia pipes up.

.........................................

Octavia paces through the foliage. The planning wasn't going so great. Everything she said Bellamy shot down, even the stuff Gabriel and Echo agreed with her on. At one point, Echo snapped crossly at Bellamy, and her brother had turned to retort but backed down before anything started. Eventually, she had excused herself. She said she had to relieve herself, but she just needed some air. Some space.

She heard the sound of feet crushing behind her and she unsheathed her sword, swinging around.

She gasps, and her sword falls from her hand.


	3. Belonging

It was _impossible_. 

But it was _real._

Octavia's green eyes widened at the sight before her. The older woman stood with a smirk, long light brown hair pulled out of her face in a simple braid and blue eyes shining. Her stomach was flat. Instead, standing beside her with a little hand in hers, was a small child. A little girl, long blonde hair and curious wide baby blues. 

"Diyoza..." she whispers. She takes a step forward. 

"You're alive," Diyoza states, voice flooded with relief.

"Me? I've been thinking you've been dead for weeks!"

"Weeks?" Diyoza's brow furrows in confusion. "It's been _years_."

"You remember?" Octavia manages to say. "You remember being in the anomaly?"

"I do," she looks down at the child with an endearing smile. "We were happy. It was magnificent there, you should have seen it. I walked into my perfect paradise. I told Hope stories, mostly about you."

"If you were happy, why did you come back _here?"_ Octavia doesn't understand why someone would willingly return to this place. But she won't complain-she missed the older woman. 

"Hope said we needed to help," she looks down at the child. "She had a dream you were in trouble and kept insisting we have to come back. She explained things that I had never told her, and I knew that she was right. She said you needed me, and that was all the incentive I needed." Octavia was shocked that Diyoza had shared her feelings, the woman usually being cold.

"You were the best war general known to man. Are you still?"

There it was. The cocky Charmaine Diyoza smirk. "Of _course_ I am."

"Good. Because your kid is right. We _do_ need you."

Octavia turned and walked back up the path that led to the tent, Diyoza following. Hope jogged on beside her to keep up with her urgent strides. Her brows knitted as they reached a sea of people, many in nightmarish costumes. 

"They're the good guys, Mama," Hope says softly. Octavia nods in confirmation. The Children of Gabriel parted like the red sea to let them through, though many cast unsure looks Diyoza's way. Octavia pushed back the flap, entering the tent and holding it open for her companions to enter.

Echo, Madi, Bellamy and Gabriel turned to face her. Octavia was shocked to see Madi not only conscious, but up out of bed. She was leaning against Echo for support, but she was on her own two feet.

"You're alive?" Gabriel asks.

"You're still alive?" Diyoza retorts back. She gives Octavia a look and the younger girl bites her lip lightly and looks down. _Interesting,_ she thinks. Her eyes trail over the others in the room. Bellamy, the brave wannabe leader of the ground she wasn't too fond of. The child- Clarke's child, who didn't look as if she aged a day. She glanced down at her own child. Then her eyes found the cautious brown eyes of the spy who had played her back on earth. She had great respect for Echo. The woman and her companions had managed to outsmart her, and she was hard to fool. 

Gabriel just chuckles, with a slight shake of his head. He didn't know the woman well, but he expected nothing less than the sass. She was much like Octavia that way. "Now it's _two_ people who have come out of the anomaly alive. Well, _three_ it seems," he says, eyes flicking to Hope. "Why are _you_ back?"

"To help _you,_ " Diyoza says simply.

"Good. We need all the help we can get," Echo speaks up. She moves towards the table they had previously surrounded, helping Madi with her. "Here's what we know..."

....................................

"Here," Octavia offers a piece of meat to Hope, who wrinkles her little nose. "Don't worry, it tastes better than it looks." She remembered a similar conversation playing out between Gabriel and Rose. _Rose_. Another loss that gnawed at her, even though she barely knew the little girl. "It's okay, Hope."

The little girl takes it tentatively, taking a bite. "I don't like it."

"I know. We don't have many resources now. But once we win this battle, we'll have all you could want." That got her a genuine smile. Hope moved so she was sitting beside her.

"We'll win," she confidently says in her little voice. 

"I hope you're right, _strik won_." 

"What does that mean?"

"It's... _little one_ in Trigedasleng. It's a language my people speak."

"Can you teach me, after the war?" her eyes widen at the thought of a secret language.

Octavia smiles softly. "I will. You look like you're a quick learner."

"A _real_ quick learner," she giggles. She leans against Octavia. "I think you're my sister."

Octavia's head swings around real fast. "I'm not your sister."

"Mommy talks about you like you're her daughter too."

"I'm no one's daughter." She closes her eyes. _You are Wonkru, ore you are the enemy of Wonkru. Choose!_ "I belong to no one."

"You can belong to us," she says softly, eyes pleading.

Unknown to them, Diyoza watched the exchange with a sad yet determined look on her face.


	4. Try

"Be safe. _Please._ I can't lose you," Bellamy says, his voice cracking as his leaned his forehead against Echo's. 

The plan had settled on Echo sneaking in with Gabriel, being she was a Natblida now, and finding Raven. Finding Raven was imperative- without her, they would never be able to lower the shield. Echo was determined to be better suited, and in better shape, than Madi to sneak in and out undetected. She spent her entire life since she was a young girl training for this. Gabriel would be the distraction, much to the younger Blake's dismay. Bellamy and Octavia had followed the two to the perimeter, while Diyoza had reluctantly stayed behind at the camp to watch over Hope and Madi, along with a few of the Children of Gabriel who had been willing to miss the March on Sanctum to protect the three.

"I'll be careful. I was born for this," Echo says, placing a long hand on his cheek. 

"You were born for so _much_ more than this." He kisses her, and she me;ted against him. Neither spoke t, but they knew. They were kissing each other as if it was the last time they'd see each other.

Octavia tears her gaze from the couple and meets Gabriel's warm brown eyes. She saw something in his eyes she hadn't seen in a long time- something she hadn't seen since _Lincoln_. She saw concern, hope, and unconditional trust. 

"Stay safe?" she whispers.

He didn't respond. He looks around as if looking for something, then he swung back to face her. He puts a gentle hand on the back of her head and pulls her against him, pressing warm lips to hers. She froze. She can't remember last time she kissed someone, was it Ilian? She relaxed against him, arms encircling his back. He pressed one last kiss before taking a step back. "That's my promise. That I'll come back to you."

"Don't make promises you can't keep. I can't take any more losses," she chokes out. _Atom. Lincoln. Ilian._

"Alright," he agrees easily. "I promise I'll do everything in my power to come back to you." 

She barks out a laugh. "That's still a promise."

"I know," he smirks. She's brave for a moment. She reaches up and kisses him once more.

"Let's get going," Echo's voice breaks the two apart. Octavia feels her cheeks flush under Echo's smirk. The former spy's hand brushed over her shoulder as she passed. She heard a deep breath and then there was a flash as the two jumped through the barrier. She heard a quiet cry.

"Echo?!" She hears Bellamy's anxious cry. She looks at the bodies on the ground. Gabriel pushed himself up and holds a hand down, hauling Echo up with him.

"We're okay," comes Echo's soothing voice. "We'll be back soon. _Ai hod yu in_." 

They turned and they disappeared into the darkness. Octavia bit back tears as she watched them disappear. 

.....................................................

"This is where we part," Gabriel says, as they duck behind a column. 

"What will you do?"

"Set off the bomb. Evacuate the people. They'll wake to the alarms blaring and they'll be too confused to realize that it's too soon. You go get your mechanic. We'll meet back at the shield, if I'm not there don't wait. Lower it, you'll find me after it's done."

She nods and clasps his arm. "Be safe, Gabriel."

"You too, Echo." 

She releases him an turns, running quietly into the night. She's quick to dart around and between, avoiding lurking guards and the odd person who couldn't sleep. She prays Gabriel has the same luck she does. She climbs to the door leading to the medbay. She tries the door. Locked. She isn't discouraged, she pulls the picks she shoved in her pocket. _"Thank you, Miller."_ She fumbles a bit, not as skilled as the thief who gave her the skill, but she managed to unlock it. She moves silently through the room of skeletons, and opens the medbay quietly. She stops in her tracks. She hears the click of the gun.

"Hello, _spy_."

......................................................

"'They'll be okay," Octavia says, almost a mantra as she paces in the edge of the woods.

"Can you not?" she hears Bellamy snap. 

She ignores him, shooting a glare over her shoulder. "At least I'm _trying_ to be positive. You're just sulking!" She snaps. She told herself she wouldn't be harsh- she wanted to earn back his forgiveness. But his constant refusing to acknowledge her, and when he did snapping at her like she was an inconvenience was eating at her. 

He looks taken aback, before anger reappeared back on his face. He got up and she tensed up.

"I'm _trying,_ Bell! I'm _trying!_ What more do you want from me? I can't change what I did, and I'm not saying I was in the right all the time, but I did what I had to do! I kept my people alive and while I do regret who I became, I _don't_ regret saving my people! No matter what Clarke does to save her people, you forgive her. So why can't you forgive me? Why won't you forgive _me! I'm your sister!"_ She swipes at her cheeks, not even realizing tears had escaped. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "You know what I love about being with Gabriel and Diyoza? They don't judge because they understand the hardships leaders face. They know one dark chapter doesn't define someone."

He goes to speak, taking a step towards her but she shakes her head, stepping back. She can't take another blow. She walks widely around him, heading to the group of Children of Gabriel. She kneels down beside Layla, the woman who was Gabriel's hosts sister. 

"It'll be soon," she tries, hoping to make better talk with these strangers than she would with her brother.

"We're ready," Layla says, nodding. "We've been ready to end the reign of Primes for a long time."

"And Gabriel?" she asks tentatively.

"He promised to never take another host. He keeps that promise, he can live the rest of his life in peace."

"That's all he wants. He said he didn't want to be put in this body," she says quietly.

Layla looks at her, brow furrowed. "So he said. So, You fight?" She changes the subject and Octavia doesn't mind.

"I do," she nods. "That's the only reason I'm still alive." 

Layla looks at her intrigued. So Octavia leans against the tree they're sitting in front of and begins her tale. Stories of how they came to the ground. Of how Lincoln trained her, how Indra trained her. The night she became Indra's second- and the array of bruises she earned. How her and the other seconds pulled off their rescue with their wits to when Mount Weather bombed Ton DC. About the fight into the Mountain before the inevitable genocide. The Hakeldama. The battle in Polis tower when the human race was controlled by the AI ALIE, which ended in her ending Pike's existence. Her fight with Echo, how she was stabbed and fell over the cliffs edge, into the river. The conclave, all the deaths she saw and caused herself. Ilian. Roan. Luna. How she became Osleya, forming Wonkru. How she had to unite them, you are Wonkru or you are the enemy of Wonkru. Choose! The Dark Year. The fighting pits. The slaughter in the gorge and barely surviving. Her going to sacrifice herself only to be saved by Echo and Madi. The second battle in the gorge. Earth's demise and cryo. Trying to get Skaikru to kill here in space before stowing away on the dropship. Failing at keeping Rose alive. The temporal flare hitting her, aging her hand, and how she went into the anomaly. How she took the toxin given by Gabriel to face her demons. And the aftermath, leading up to this moment.

Little did they know that Bellamy was leaning against a tree not too far from them, and had listened to his sister's entire story. Or how the expression on his face had changed to anger to something quiet unreadable.

..............................................................

Gabriel watches with a relieved look as the water bubbled, and before long, the sirens began. He stayed in his shrouded spot, and smiled as the sound of panic filled the air. The evacuation was underway. Things were going to plan. He just hoped Echo had success in her part of the mission.


	5. Survivor

Gabriel moved silently through Sanctum, heading to the meeting point he and Echo agreed upon, deciding meeting at the shield might not be the best idea like they originally planned. He prayed nobody caught him- _them_. Prayed the woman pulled through on her end. He arrived at the workshop entrance, tensing when a figure emerged. A figure he had never seen before.

"Gabriel?" the woman asked. 

His eyes darted down, to the telltale sign. A brace on her leg. "Raven."

She nods. "We have to go, they know there's been a breach. They don't know you have any this, and we want it to stay that way."

"Where's Echo?" he asks. A look crosses the woman's face. 

"Let's go." She starts moving, not as stealthily as he but he knew it had to do with the slight limp she has. He didn't comment on it, though. He just matched her pace- which was must quicker that he would have thought it'd be. 

"What happened to Echo?" He tried again. He wasn't sure what Octavia's brother would do if he returned without his lover. 

"Shh." Raven hissed and he sighed. 

"I need to know what to tell her boyfriend," he said and her stride slowed as she looked at him. It was hard to see her face in the the dark, but he knew undoubtedly she had the same stressed look on her face as she did before. 

"They caught her, but not before she told me to meet you and what I had to do. Murphy, Emori, Miller and Gaia will save her. I _know_ they will. But right now our priority is to get to the shield and lower it so Bellamy and your people can get inside. So less talking, more moving. The sooner we get there, the sooner I can lower the shield and the sooner we save _everyone_." 

They ran the rest of the way in silence. He guided the mechanic to a box where she could hack it to open the shield. He paced in half circles around her. "Hey. Can you not? Trying to work here." He sighs and rolls his eyes but stays as still as his restless mind allows. After what feels like an eternity to him, the shield makes a sound, and it dissipates. 

"Did you-?"

"It's down." 

They run through, and are almost immediately greeted by Bellamy, Octavia, and the Children of Gabriel. Bellamy's relieved smile fades, his eyes darting around. "Where is she?"

"I'm sorry, Bellamy, Russell has her. But Murphy, Emori, Miller, and Gaia should be rescuing her as we speak. Clarke is in there, too-she won't let Russell turn her into a Prime either. And now we can go join them. We can save our people and the people of Sanctum. We _have_ to."

He nodded, a determined look on his features. 

"We'll save her Bell. We'll fix this. We'll _do better._ "

He looks at her quickly at the sound of the last words Monty ever said, at least for their ears. He takes a moment, and he nods. "Do better."

"Raven, Veno will bring you to our camp," Bellamy says.

"Wait, what?" she gapes at them. "You can't sideline me, Bellamy!"

"You're too important to risk, Rae. Trust me," he pleads. "Madi is there, so is Diyoza and Hope."

"Who's Hope?" the mechanic asks, brow scrunching. 

"Her daughter. It's a lot to explain, but Diyoza will tell you when you get there," Octavia offers and Raven nods slowly. 

"Stay safe," she hugs Bellamy tightly.

"You too," he murmurs.

She hesitates, then hugs Octavia. "You stay safe, too."

Octavia smiles, hugging her old friend back. "I will. We're survivors."

"Damn straight we are," Raven chuckles, letting her go. "Go, survive."

....................................................................

The sound of gunfire resonated in her eyes, a high pitch keen following. Her golden brown eyes stared wide eyed as black blood pooled at her feet, washing around the edges of her time worn boots. A figure appeared in her blurred vision, and the last thing she saw before the noise faded and the world became dark around the edges, seeping in closer and closer was a head of blonde hair and a smirk plastered onto a very familiar face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I'm back!  
> Do you guys want this battle for Sanctum to be dragged out a bit over several chapters or do you want a quick battle over just a chapter or two and then gradually move onto more happy times?


	6. Bullet

"Well, well, well," the familiar voice with the unfamiliar tone says. She has Clarke's wavy blonde hair, her crystal blue eyes, her plump lips. But her smile was cold and disconnected. "Guess you lucked out in escaping us a second time, huh?" She twirled a blonde strand around her finger, humming as if she was deep in thought. 

"Guess not," Echo says flatly. She didn't know who the impostor wanted, but she knew there was no way in hell she would give it to her. What she wanted to know, was why Josephine was here when Bellamy had told her she had been defeated and Clarke had returned. The woman gave no indication she was just pretending, but Echo wasn't giving up hope now. She prayed the blonde was just as good a pretender as she herself was.

Josephine chuckles, turning to the guards. "Go, I told Daddy I wanted to take this one all by myself. I'll send for him when it is time for my mother to awaken." She rolls her eyes when they didn't budge. Echo's heart was pounding. "She's chained up thoroughly. And even if she miraculously escapes, I can hold my own. Trust me. Stand guard outside the door if you must."

Echo watched in baited breath as the guards disappeared out the door. _This is her chance_. She eyed the blonde, trying to figure out what was next.

"We don't have much time," the blonde said, voice returning into a soothing, recognizable tone. Echo sighed deeply in relief. "I haven't really thought past this point, but between the two of us we can plan a quick escape, right?"

"Clarke. It _is_ you."

She gives her a cheeky smile. "Yes it is. Now if you don't mind," she starts, undoing the chains quickly and quietly, "we need your inner spy to come out."

"Gladly." She stands up the moment she's free, stretching her sore muscles from being bound. She looks around, eyes zeroing on her sword.

"Figured you would need this," Clarke says, passing it to her. Echo takes it. Clarke opens the bag on the ground and Echo feels a small smile form when she sees her bow and quiver.

"Thank you."

An alarm started blaring, both girls startling momentarily. "Gabriel. He pulled through," Echo breathes in relief 

"Gabriel?"

"He set off a bomb to release just enough red sun toxin to set off the alarm but not enough to affect anyone. Which means hopefully Raven got the shield down, so Bellamy, Octavia and the Children of Gabriel are on their way in here as we speak."

"Raven did, I helped her get out when she told me you had given her a mission."

"Then Bellamy and Octavia are here." 

"Good, cause we're going to need them."

 _"Josephine,"_ the door opens and the guards stall. "What the he-" the guard's shout is cut off, followed by the unmistakable sound of blood gurgling as an arrow pierces his throat. 

"Let's go." 

The two emerge, running out, Echo taking down the second guard on their way. They ran down the twisting hall, Clarke holding her gun while Echo had a death grip on her bow. They skid to a halt when they nearly collided with two people coming around the corner.

"Miller! Gaia!"

"You're okay!" Gaia says in relief, giving Echo an awkward hug. Miller embraces Clarke. 

"I am. So is Madi. She stayed behind safely. But, Bellamy and Octavia are somewhere with an army."

Miller's face twists at the mention of his former Queen. But Gaia has an elated look. "Let's find them and win this war, shall we?"

The four had determined looks on their faces as they moved stealthily into the outside. All they saw was chaos, the civilians fleeing over the hill to whatever bunker they fled to during the red sun. Guards trying to stop them, yelling false alarm. And Echo's head turned, and a genuine smile formed on her face. Bellamy, Octavia, Gabriel, Layla and the other Children of Gabriel stand not far from them. Her feet were moving before her brain caught up. She broke into a sprint, and heard the footfalls behind her. 

"Echo!" Bellamy took bounding steps over, catching her in his arms. 

"Octavia," Clarke hugged her former friend and much to Gaia and Miller's surprise, the younger girl hugged her back tightly.

"I'm glad you're back," Octavia said in a thick voice.

"You, too," Clarke said in a loaded voice. 

"It worked," Echo says elatedly, looking as the last of the civilians disappeared. "Now we can win this war without unnecessary casualties."

"Do better," Bellamy says with a nod.

"Do better," the others echo. 

"Let's go do-" Octavia's sentence is cut off by the sound of a gun firing. Their ears rang, and unprepared minds spun.

"Octavia!" Bellamy's shout echoed in their ears. 

They watched as the younger Blake presses a hand to her own stomach to staunch the blood pouring out of the bullet hole in her abdomen. "Bell..."

Echo catches her when her knees give out. Bellamy drops to his knees, his sister's face in his hands. "Octavia..."


End file.
